AN: Hey guys, so I'm not sure if my regular readers didn't like the last chapter or weren't signed in, but I hope you like this one more and I can get more reviews. Thanks!

Guest (1): Thanks for the review. Hope you like the chapter.

ADORATIO: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it!

Yuki Niwa: I'm not sure yet how exactly Sophia is going to handle Elena's betrayal, because it was a lot more than just drugging her. She lied to her, daggered her friend, and helped to try and kill her boyfriend; so I think it'll take time before forgiveness could even be contemplated. I really liked the domestic scene too. The show only shows the rough parts of the family's relationship, so I wanted to add in scenes that we don't get to see, especially now that Elijah is awake and has forgiven Klaus. I hope you like this chapter too! I always love your feedback!

Guest (2): I'm not too sure about how Jenna is going to play into the story, as I'm having to add her to the season and figure out where she'd be. With knowing what Elena's done and not having wanted them to attack Klaus, I guess she's more pro-Originals. I'm still trying to figure her out. We'll just have to wait and see. I hope you like this chapter!

Guest (3): I'm glad you liked the chapter! I loved the family moments, as I think it's important to show that they may be vampires, but they're still a family and squabble and make up the way families do. I'm not sure yet when the other two will join them or how I'm going to handle the whole Esther thing.

Guest (4): Thanks for the review. I'm glad you liked the chapter! I agree that Damon and Elena both need to be punished somehow, as what they did was just shitty. We'll just have to see what happens. ;-)

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to TVD.

Chapter 14: Family United

"We'll deal with Damon in the morning." Klaus announced as the Mikaelsons made their way into the mansion, Sophia leaning heavily against his side as sleepiness overtook her.

The night at the Gill had been fun and she'd enjoyed getting her drink on, but now she was just exhausted and wanted to go to sleep. It felt like she hadn't had a proper night's sleep in weeks. It'd been one thing after another since she'd stepped back into her hometown and the witch hadn't had a moment's peace from worry, either for Klaus, Rebekah, Stefan or her family. She'd literally been consumed with it and it'd left her drained.

"Just how are you going to punish him?" Elijah questioned as he unbuttoned his suit jacket.

"I haven't decided yet. We'll have to get creative, but I'm certain we can come up with a suitable retribution." Klaus said before leading the tipsy girl up the rounded stairs and towards their bedroom.

Elijah and Rebekah exchanged a glance before heading into the kitchen, both feeling a little hungry after being around so many humans for so long. And since Sophia wouldn't let Rebekah kill anyone and Elijah's morals wouldn't either, they were stuck with the blood their brother had 'acquired' from the local hospital.

"Let's get you to bed darling." Klaus murmured as he pushed the door to their room open and turned on the lights, thankful he'd had a dimmer switch installed so that it was just a dusting glow rather than blinding.

"Am I a horrible person?" Sophia muttered as she sat down heavily on the large bed, the down comforter soft under her hands.

"What are you talking about sweetheart?" The Original asked with a furrowed brow as he squatted down to remove Sophia's shoes, his fingers skimming up her soft shins to her thighs, where he gathered the material of the dress she was wearing and pulled it over her head, leaving her in only her underwear.

"I…I had to have done something for them to betray me, right? I mean, they wouldn't have gone against me if I'd been a better sister and friend." The witch mumbled as Klaus pulled the blanket back and lifted her effortlessly before placing her under the sheet and coverlet.

"Sophia, you didn't do anything wrong. The very fact that you demanded your sister be left alone even after what she did to you just shows how good you are. It's their fault they agreed to Mikael's plan, not yours." The Original tried to reassure as he quickly pulled his own clothes off and joined her.

"But…she's my sister. My twin. How could she…" Sophia broke off as her throat grew tight and tears stung at her eyes, threatening to spill as she tried to compose herself.

"I don't know sweetheart." Klaus murmured quietly as he pulled her into his arms, the feeling of safety and love making the teen break down into sobs.

"I-I'm sorry they t-tried to k-kill you." She hiccupped as she cried, hating how weak she felt, but unable to do anything about it.

She'd never felt so torn up and hurt, her insides twisted around until she felt like purging every minute of the day. The witch hadn't known she could ever feel like this; and the fact that it was caused by her own sister and someone she'd thought was one of her closest friends just made everything worse.

"That had nothing to do with you, my love."

"But t-they're my f-family and f-friends." She mumbled, completely overwhelmed with everything. It didn't help that like vampires, her emotions seemed to be heightened even more, making the betrayal almost crimpling when she gave into thoughts of it.

"But they're not you, sweetheart. You'd never do something like this to anyone you love. Now sleep, darling." He said softly, kissing her forehead as she continued to cry.

He held her close and stroked her hair, his rage at the guilty parties building with each tear. He might not be able to go after Elena, but he would make sure they knew not to cross him again, because he doubted Sophia would be able to save them once more. Not when they hurt her like this.

Rebekah slammed her cup down when she heard her friend begin to sob, her temper getting the better of her and she was out of the house before the blood had even stopped sloshing. Elijah sighed in annoyance before following, knowing he'd need to make sure his sister didn't do anything stupid, like kill Elena.

/*/

Elena gasped in surprise and fear as she was suddenly wrenched up off her bed and thrust against the wall, her frail human body teetering on the verge of breaking as she stared into the cold blue eyes of Rebekah.

"Hello Elena. You stuck a dagger in my back and it hurt." The blonde said angrily as her fingers clenched around the fragile neck, glaring down into the eyes that were so much like Sophia's, and yet so different.

"R-Reb—"

"No, you don't get to talk. The only reason I'm not snapping your neck like you deserve is because your sister has demanded you remain alive, despite the way you betrayed her. Your own sister. It's disgusting that you could do that to Sophia, who's the most remarkable person I've ever met in over a thousand years. You're a disgrace."

As Rebekah continued to speak, Elena's heart clenched tightly at her words, knowing they were true. Sophia, no matter what she had turned into, was still her sister and the most loving person she knew. Once Sophia loved someone and gave them her loyalty, she'd go to hell and back for them; until they betrayed her, that is. And now Elena was on the outside without a foreseeable way to make things right.

"I-I—"

"What? What could you possibly have to say that will make this right?" The blonde demanded, loosening her grip just a fraction to allow the doppelgänger to speak.

"I undaggered you." Elena said, swallowing around the lump in her throat as she tried to fight back the urge to attempt to pry the vampire's hand from around her throat, knowing it'd only anger the woman even more.

"Why?"

"Because…I knew you'd be able to wake Sophia so she could save Klaus." Rebekah narrowed her eyes as she tried to detect if the human was lying or not, but there didn't seem to be anything deceitful in her words.

"Why help plan to kill my brother if you were going to help save him?"

"I had to. Mikael threatened Stefan and Damon if we didn't all go along with it. But I knew what it'd do to her, so I had to do something!" Elena replied.

"What's going on?" The two's faces turned to see Jeremy standing at the door to the connecting bathroom, eyes wide as he took in the Original vampire with his sister held to the wall by her neck.

"Just having a little chat."

"Go Jeremy." Elena said, fear for her brother flooding her, despite knowing that if she was safe then the rest of her family was too.

"Hey, let go!" The teen tried to move forward but suddenly found himself being restrained by strong hands on his shoulders.

"Elijah!" Elena's eyes went wide with shock at his appearance, not even having known he'd been awoken.

"Hello Elena." The elegant man said, titling his head slightly in acknowledgement.

"I—I didn't know Klaus would undagger you." The brunette said in surprise, not being able to help but admire the man's new haircut, which made him look even hotter. Now really wasn't the time.

"Yes well, my brother seems to have gone through a metamorphosis of sorts since he met Sophia. Rebekah, darling, let's get on with it as I'd like to get to bed sometime tonight." The blonde rolled her eyes at him before turning back to focus on her prisoner.

"Understand that if you ever betray Sophia again, I'll kill you. I had to listen to her cry herself to sleep tonight because she doesn't understand what she did to make you and the other witch go against her and I'll be damned if I have to hear it again. You've been warned." Rebekah said before she released the human, Elena coughing as her airflow wasn't restricted anymore.

"W-what are you talking about?" Jeremy asked in confusion as he looked between the vampires and his sister, not understanding.

"Oh, you haven't told your brother what you did to your sister? Now now Elena, don't leave the boy in the dark. He deserves to know what type of person you are." Rebekah said with a smirk before she turned away and headed towards the door.

"Don't worry, Elena, Jeremy; Sophia has made sure no one in your family will come to harm as long as you stop trying to kill my brother." Elijah added before releasing the young man and disappearing.

"What did you do, Elena?" Jeremy asked once they were alone, having not been let in on the secret as to why Sophia had just moved out. He'd figured that with her boyfriend back in town that she'd want to live with him, but apparently he was wrong.

"I…you're going to hate me too." Elena mumbled as she sat on her bed, burying her face in her hands. Jeremy frowned and came to sit next to her, not knowing what she could have possibly done that was this bad.

"No I won't."

"I did something horrible, Jer. This vampire named Mikael…"

/*/

"You need to leave." Damon looked up from his bourbon as Stefan came into the room, interrupting the man's pity party.

"And why do I need to do that, brother of mine?" He arched a dark brow at him before downing the rest of the liquor from his tumbler and pouring himself more.

"Because Klaus is going to kill you." Stefan said seriously, not understanding how his brother could be so nonchalant about this.

"Well he'd be dead if our little witch hadn't been set free." The older brother muttered as he slouched into the couch.

"I wasn't the one who did that, Damon. It was Elena or Bonnie, as they were the only ones to see her and Rebekah before the dance. But that doesn't matter because Klaus is going to kill you, so you need to get out of town."

"And what? Be on the run for the next 500 years? No thank you." Damon shook his head.

"Damon—"

"Don't you have your new Original friends to go hang out with?" Stefan sighed in annoyance and left, not knowing why his brother had to be so stubborn. He couldn't save him the way Sophia could Elena, so he didn't get why Damon had to be such a dick about everything.

Not knowing when the hybrid was coming for his brother kept Stefan up throughout the night. He may be friends with the Original family, but Damon was his family and he didn't know how he was going to save him. He just hoped he figured it out before it was too late.

/*/

Rolling over, Sophia slowly became aware she was no longer dreaming as her senses began to kick in, the addicting smell of Klaus being the first thing she inhaled. Opening her eyes a little, she saw the hybrid lying with an arm over his eyes, his chest bare as the cover and sheet pooled around his hips.

Unable to help herself, the witch leaned forward to plant kisses on his pale skin .

"You're up early for someone who should have a hangover." Klaus's voice vibrated in his chest, tickling her lips as they skimmed over a dark nipple.

"My head's surprisingly clear." She replied softly and smiled, eyes looking up at his face through her lashes as he lowered his arm to see her.

"Another aspect of your new form, I presume." The man said before leaning up, taking the witch with him until they were both sitting up and he could lean down to capture her lips in a kiss, his hunger for her mounting.

"Hmm—no, morning breath!" Sophia pushed against his chest with a crinkled nose of disgust which had him rolling his eyes as she darted up off the bed. He moved to follow her when his phone began ringing, pulling his attention away.

"What is it, Eric?" He questioned his most trusted vampire. Well, as much as he was ever actually willing to trust him, that is.

"Christopher is dead." Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, Klaus stood.

"Excuse me?"

"He's dead, Klaus. I went in to feed him and he was just…dead. There was blood on his lips and the bed as if he'd coughed it up. There weren't any external wounds and I'm the only one with a key to the cell."

"How is that even possible?" The hybrid demanded in agitation as he glanced up to see Sophia watching him in concern, her toothbrush hanging from her mouth.

"I don't know. I can't explain it."

"Bring him to me, Eric. I'll examine the body myself."

"Alright. Do you want me to send him with the shipment from the house?" Eric questioned, referring to the large shipment of belongings Klaus had requested to furnish his new house.

Carol had supervised the packing to make sure no one tried to steal anything, but she'd be remaining in the house to oversee it. The hybrid had questioned if she'd want to come to Mystic Falls, but her family was there so he'd agreed to allow her to remain as long as she kept the other house clean and tidy.

"Yes, that'll be fine. But make sure they know to be quick about it."

"Yes sir." Eric replied before disconnecting.

"Isn't Christopher that vampire you've held prisoner since the 90s?" Sophia asked, her mind trying to find the specific memory.

"Yes. He was working with Mikael. He was actually one of the only vampires my father ever turned." He answered with a nod as he made his way over to her, tossing his phone onto the top of a side table along the way.

"Why didn't you just kill him?" She questioned as they moved into the bathroom, Klaus grabbing his own toothbrush.

"On the off chance that he came in handy if Mikael was awoken. I'd actually forgotten about him with everything going on. It's troubling that he's died mysteriously. Only Eric and I knew about him, so I'm at a loss as to who would target him since Mikael's death." He shrugged, hating not knowing. He was used to being two steps ahead over everyone and this uncertainty was unsettling.

"We'll figure it out." Sophia smiled in reassurance before she focused on brushing her teeth, hiding her mouth away as she spit into the sink. What? It wasn't appealing to watch, okay. Jeez.

"Let's hope so." Klaus muttered as he turned on the water to wash the sink out and grabbed the glass to fill with liquid before rinsing his mouth. Sophia took the cup from him and repeated the motions before everything was back in its rightful place.

Klaus went to the large shower and turned on the different faucets to a nice warm temperature as Sophia got undressed. The two didn't need to speak as they stepped into the fogging glass enclosure, having lost none of their awareness of the other. It was as if they'd never been apart, the way they were able to silently communicate even in the easy situations, such as showering.

Sophia sighed as she let the water cascade down on her, her face turned up under the spray to allow it to wash away the makeup she'd forgotten to take off the night before. She gave a small smile when hands were suddenly sliding up her back and over her shoulders, pulling her hair until it was clutched in one hand and out of the way.

Klaus settled his body against hers and let his mouth skim the soft skin of her shoulder, relishing in the little shiver she gave, her skin rubbing enticingly against his. Moving his lips up, the hybrid let his tongue flick out to taste her, focusing on the sensitive spot behind her ear that had the witch's knees threatening to buckle.

Turning under the spray, Sophia splayed her hands across his slick chest and smiled up at him before leaning up on her toes so her teeth could tug at his bottom lip. Klaus gave a little growl before picking her up and thrusting her against the shower wall, his mouth attacking hers with abandon, his pent up desires getting the better of him. In all the commotion since he'd returned, the two hadn't coupled once and it was about time that changed.

Sophia mewled against him when one of his hands slid around her until his fingers were parting her lips, discovering that the witch's body was just as reactive as it'd always been. There would be time later for prolonged, drown out lovemaking; for now, the two were driven to the point of insanity with their unfulfilled want and didn't want to waste time being apart.

Klaus smirked against her lips as his fingers easily slid into her, causing the girl to clutch at his shoulders as her muscles tightened around him. Working quickly, the hybrid had Sophia's head falling back against the wall as his hand worked against her, forcing moans from her lips.

"Klaus stop teasing me." She grunted, opening her eyes to glare at him and making the hybrid smirk before he removed his hand and lined himself up with her. Gripping his shoulders tightly, Sophia pushed against the wall with her shoulders so she could press her hips against his, giving a little breathy moan when the tip of him slid into her.

"I've missed you, my love." His voice made her skin break out into goosebumps and she tugged on his shoulders so their mouths could be pressed against each other again.

Not needing any more incentive, Klaus gripped her hips tightly as he surged into her, the feeling of her wet heat surrounding him tightly nearly making him go cross-eyed. He swore then and there that he'd never be parted from her for such a long time, as he didn't think he'd ever survive it again.

They set a fast tempo, both more concerned with finally being together than drawing it out. The water that cascaded down on them from the different faucets and hit their sides from the body jets made their bodies slick, allowing them to move against each other with ease.

Klaus was thankful they were both supernatural creatures or else they'd have surely slipped and broken their necks from how fasts their bodies were moving. Reaching down as he pulled out, the hybrid's thumb settled over her bud to begin rubbing furiously as he thrust back in, the added sensation making Sophia's walls clamp down tightly around him as she let out a loud moan.

God he'd missed her.

/*/

The two made their way into the kitchen, avoiding swinging beams and construction workers as they went. The house was getting closer to completion and the furnishing state would begin soon, which Sophia was ready for as she couldn't wait for the hustle and bustle, i.e. lots of noise, to be gone.

"Good morning Sophia, Niklaus." Elijah said when they entered, sitting at the breakfast table with Rebekah, both of them with mugs of coffee and plates of eggs, bacon and toast.

"I didn't know either of you could cook." Sophia said when she spotted the food, her stomach grumbling in hunger.

"It's a hobby I picked up over the years." Elijah replied with a smile as he took a bite of egg.

"Hmm. Thanks for cooking. It looks a lot better than cereal." The witch said as Klaus started dishing out the remainder of food while she poured them coffee. They smiled at each other and exchanged a quick kiss over the plates before they joined the others, settling in for a peaceful breakfast before the real drama started.

"So how're we going after Damon?" Rebekah questioned, wiping at her mouth and quirking a brow. Sophia focused on her food, knowing there would be no talking Klaus out of whatever he decided to do.

And she wasn't really sure she wanted to talk him out of anything, as this was just another thing Damon had done to endanger her love. The only reason she didn't want the idiotic pain-in-her-ass to die was because she knew it would destroy Stefan, and she didn't want that to happen. He meant too much to her to let that to happen.

"I actually haven't fully decided yet. He needs to be taught a lesson, but I know killing him is out of the question. I guess a good torture is all that's left." Klaus answered with a shrug as he drank his coffee.

Sophia's head lifted a little so she could look at him and she gave him a thankful and proud look, glad he wasn't going to push it to the extreme with the punishment. While her stomach knotted at the visuals her mind brought up when 'torture' was said, the more primal side of her thought it was a just punishment for trying to kill Klaus.

The two different sides of her were at odds, but Sophia couldn't find it within her to even try to fight for the vampire above simply keeping him alive. Damon was responsible for so much misery and heartache, not just with regards to her, that she wanted him to finally wake up and realize what he was doing before it was too late. Before no amount of persuading was going to keep his throat from being ripped out.

"Why aren't we killing him?" Elijah asked in confusion as he finished off his coffee, not getting why they allowed the young vampire the opportunity to live.

"Because it'd send Stefan totally over the edge and we can't let that happen. Even if it means Damon gets to live." Sophia answered when Klaus sent her a look, telling her that she should explain. It was only for her benefit that he didn't tear Damon's spine out through his mouth, after all.

"You're that determined to help Stefan?"

"Yeah. I'd do it for any of you. And Stefan's one of my best friends now. Well, maybe my only friend except for you guys." She said sadly, eyes dropping to her plate where her fork pushed the eggs and bacon around.

"I'm sure your other friends will come around in time, love." Klaus said softly, hand closing over the one that was resting on the table and squeezing it reassuringly.

"You should know that Elena is the one that pulled the dagger from Rebekah's heart." Looking up in surprise, Sophia saw Elijah give his sister a raised brow in challenge, as if daring her about something.

"H-how do you know?" She asked, a small ember of hope beginning to smolder.

"Rebekah?" Sighing, the blonde rolled her eyes at her older brother before turning to meet Sophia's gaze.

"I may have gone to see her last night to have words with her." She revealed, making the witch's eyes widen.

"You promised you wouldn't go after her, Bekah! How could—"

"Now just hold on; I didn't go there to hurt her. Just to warn her that if she ever betrayed you again that I would kill her." Rebekah explained.

"She's my sister, Bekah. You know I'd never let you kill her, no matter what." Sophia said, her voice booking no argument. They all knew that the witch would protect her family at all costs, even against her new 'family'.

"I know, but she doesn't. I just…I heard you crying and it enraged me that she could do that to you. So I just went to give a warning; to remind her that I can get to her." The Original shrugged, not willing to feel bad for threatening the human doppelgänger.

"She didn't hurt her, Sophia. I went after her to make sure and Elena admitted that she was the one who pulled the dagger out. Said it was so Rebekah could wake you up to save Klaus." Elijah added as he stood with his dirty dishes before taking them to the sink.

"Why would she do that?" Sophia asked in confusion, looking to Klaus, who just gave a shrug.

"Apparently Mikael threatened to kill both Salvatore's if they didn't help him. They really shouldn't have woken him, as this could have all been avoided." Rebekah replied with an eye roll as she leaned back in her chair.

"I don't know, I happen to like that Mikael is forever dead now. He can't just pop up one day to chase us out of another city." The hybrid murmured with a smirk as he finished off his coffee.

"You mean chase you." Elijah said with a twitch of his lips, making Sophia bite back a chuckle at Klaus's eye roll.

Even though she was completely confused about Elena and what to do, she really enjoyed seeing this new side of the hybrid. Most of his memories of his family had been tainted with the knowledge that he'd killed their mother and had hidden the truth from them.

Now they were able to have a more honest dialogue and she could tell that a lot of the bad feelings that'd grown between the three had begun to disappear. It was encouraging that they could make so much head way in only a few days' time; it certainly made the future look brighter for the siblings. And she was so happy to be a part of it.

"Now before we go to see to the Salvatore problem, we need to address the issue that is our other brothers. When do you plan to undagger them Klaus? Surely they've been in their coffins for long enough; Finn for nearly 900 years." Elijah said, leaning against the kitchen counter and crossing his arms as he stared his little brother down.

"Why wake Finn at all? He was such a bore who hated what we are. I say leave him to rot."

"Nik!" Sophia gave his shoulder a little slap as she stood to place her own dishes in the sink, giving Elijah an eye roll that made him give a small smile.

"What? It's true." The hybrid shrugged nonchalantly, as if they weren't speaking about an actual person, which made Sophia's hackles rise a little. Klaus could be so cold sometimes, no matter how much he'd changed since their first meeting.

"I don't think we should wake Finn right now, personally. I mean, there's nothing here for him, so what's to keep him from trying to find a way to die again?" Sophia asked with a quirked brow at the oldest Mikaelson.

"Perhaps you are right. If that harlot he was always sneaking off to see was still around, we may have a different situation. But what of Kol?"

"I think we should deal with our main problem of Damon Salvatore right now before we bring another brother into it. And Kol isn't known for having any impulse control."

"Yeah, I really don't want him snacking on the locals because he doesn't like bloodbags." Sophia agreed with Rebekah.

"I can make him stick to the bags." Elijah said with confidence, knowing he could easily overpower his youngest brother and make him do as he was told.

"We'll see to Damon now and decide on Kol later." Klaus said as he joined them at the sink, hands sliding onto Sophia's hips as his front pressed into her back.

"Fine. But I don't want them to spend another century with daggers in their chests, Niklaus. Not now that Mikael is dead." Elijah gave him a hard look that told the younger man there was no arguing before the elegant man glided out of the room.

"Remind me why you made me undagger him?" Klaus questioned against her hair, making the witch laugh before she turned and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Because you love him and want a real family again. Which is why you'll wake both Finn and Kol." She smiled up at him and leaned on her toes to press a kiss to his red lips.

"You guys are sickly sweet. It's disgusting." Rebekah gave a mock shudder before she followed Elijah's footsteps towards the front drive, where the car was waiting.

"She's just jealous." Sophia said softly with a laugh before she wiggled out of his grip and flounced out of the room, Klaus close behind as he tried to grab her, making her laugh loudly as she evaded him.

Elijah and Rebekah shared a smile, happy that even with all the things Klaus had done to them and others, he was still able to find a love as strong as what he shared with Sophia. It certainly gave the two Originals hope that their own sins would be forgiven and they would be able to find their own Sophia's. Everyone wanted to be loved, after all.

/*/

Stefan's stomach dropped when the doorbell rang, his eyes moving over to land on Damon, who was already working on getting drunk. Swallowing around the lump in his throat and cursing his stubborn brother, the vampire stood and made his way to the front door.

"Hello mate, beautiful day." Klaus said when the door swung open to reveal Stefan. Sophia gave the Salvatore a pitying look as she stood next to Klaus, her hand intertwined in his.

"K-Klaus." Stefan's voice broke a little, the fear for his brother mounting when he saw all the awake Original siblings together. Would they actually leave Damon alive?

"We have business with your brother." Klaus continued, arching a brow when the young vampire didn't invite them inside.

Stefan glanced between all of them before sighing, knowing there was no possible way to keep them out. He moved away from the doorway and motioned for them to come in, which the four did without a word.

"Good thinking, Stefan. Now where is that pesky brother of yours?"

"Library." Stefan muttered as he closed the door, hating that this was happening. But he knew that there was nothing he could do to stop it.

"Why don't we go into the kitchen, Stef?" Sophia said, holding up the small thermos she'd brought. His face instantly started to shift at the thought of human blood, but he forced himself to calm down and nodded, leading the witch towards the kitchen.

The siblings continued their journey towards the library, coming to a stop on the balcony as they spied Damon slouched over a couch with a bottle of alcohol in his hand.

"Don't you think it's a little early to get sloshed?" Damon's eyes met the hybrid's and he just lifted the bottle up in a silent toast.

"You here to fix the door the witch broke?" He asked, his voice wavering over the words, making it clear he'd been working at his drinking for a while now.

"No. Apparently you tried to help our father kill Klaus."

"Elijah? Hmm, didn't think he'd wake you." The Salvatore gave a little shrug, going to lift the bottle back to his lips before it was suddenly wrenched from his grip, Rebekah giving a nasty smile as she threw it into the fireplace.

"Now, now, we don't want you plastered for this. We wouldn't want you to pass out on us." The blonde said with a smirk.

"Well then get on with it already. If you're gonna kill me, then just do it." Damon muttered angrily.

"Oh, we're not going to kill you, Damon. That would be too easy." Klaus murmured as he descended the stairs.

"W-what? You're not…you're not killing me?" The vampire asked in confusion, his foggy brain trying to make sense of everything.

"No. But once we're through with you, you'll wish for death." The hybrid answered and pulled him up by his throat.

"Where are we doing this, brother?" Elijah asked as he glanced around the room, noting it looked slightly different than he remembered.

"Why not in the cellar, where they locked Sophia and I up?" Rebekah said.

"That'll do just fine." Klaus nodded before vamping down to the basement with the vampire still held tightly in his hand. When they got into the small room, he threw the vampire against the stone wall with enough force that several of his bones snapped on impact, making him groan in pain.

"You should never have gone to Mikael. If you hadn't we wouldn't have a problem. But, alas, you did and now we have to remind you that we aren't people you want to cross."

"Since when was there a 'we'?" Damon asked as he coughed and struggled to his feet, grunting when he had to snap his arm back in place.

"Since Nik realized having a family is more important than anything." Sophia's voice drew their attention to the open doorway, where once there'd been a thick steel door. Said door was now across the hall, an imprint in the stone from where it'd slammed when the witch had broken through the sealing spell.

"Why don't you head off to school, love? I don't want you to see this." Klaus said, moving to her side to smooth a hand down her braided hair.

"I think I can handle it, Nik. Plus, I promised Stefan his brother would live through this and I intend to make sure that happens." She replied firmly, getting approving looks from Elijah and Rebekah and a sigh from her boyfriend.

"Fine. But I warned you." He gave her a light kiss before turning back to his prisoner, anger building up within him as he thought about all Damon had done.

"So what punishment do you think trying to kill me warrants, hmm?" He asked Damon casually as he walked up to him and titled his head, lips stretching into a smirk.

"You could always just get over it." The vampire suggested with a shrug, his shoulder complaining at the movement.

"I don't think so." Klaus grabbed his face and slammed it against the stone wall, giving a satisfied smirk when the side of Damon's face crunched, all the bones breaking at the impact and making the man groan in pain.

Sophia and Stefan, who'd joined them, both winced as Klaus began beating the older Salvatore brutally. It was a little unnerving to be reminded just what he was capable of if he was crossed, even with all the memories she had where he'd done far worse. It was just too easy to let yourself forget who exactly you were dealing with.

After this there would be no forgetting that her new family were Originals and capable of tremendous amounts of brutality. She just hoped the Damon learned from this experience instead of continuing on his crusade to kill Klaus, as she feared that'd only end in his death. And then Stefan would be lost to them all.

Her eyes snapped up to lock on the two when the first scent of blood filled the air, Damon spitting out blood after a punch to the face. It was like her first transformation, where she had no control over herself and was suddenly wrenching Klaus away from the vampire so she could sink her fangs into his jugular with a snarl.

"Really?" Klaus rolled his eyes in annoyance, irritated his playtime had been interrupted. Elijah's eyes were wide as he watched, this being the first time he'd seen the witch feed and the accompanying red eyes.

Damon struggled for a minute, but as she continued to drink, the pain turned into a deep pleasure that had the vampire nearly going cross eyed. He let out a low moan as ecstasy coursed from his neck down his body until it centered in his groin.

He was pissed that he found this erotic at all, as he did not appreciate being fed off of like this. But he couldn't dislodge Sophia, and if he was being honest, his tingling body didn't want to, as this was something he'd never felt before.

"Sophia, you can let him go now." Klaus said, not liking the smell of desire that was filling the air. He did not share and would rip Damon's head off his shoulders before he'd let him even think about getting with his girl.

But when he touched Sophia's arm to get her attention, her hand flew out and sent him flying into Elijah and Rebekah, all three of them falling to the ground in surprise as the witch looked up with a growl before refocusing on her victim.

"When was the last time she fed?" Klaus demanded as he got to his feet and brushed his jeans off, arching a brow at his sister.

"Uh…I don't know. Before you left, I guess." The blonde shrugged as she dusted her dress off.

"That was weeks ago! Sophia hasn't fed for weeks?" Stefan and Rebekah exchanged a look, both ashamed they hadn't even realized their friend had gone so long without blood. It was hard to remember that she needed it now, as the witch still ate her normal human food and acted the same that it was easy to forget she was different now.

"Sophia, sweetheart, you need to let go of Damon now. You don't want to drain him." Klaus said softly as he approached her again, this time more cautiously.

At his voice, the red eyes snapped up to meet his as she continued to suck, as if daring him to interfere with her feed. Stepping carefully, the hybrid gave her the small smile that she normally couldn't resist as his hands came to link with hers, taking her hands away from Damon's body so only her mouth was attached.

"Darling, you don't like Damon remember. You don't really want to drink from him, do you?"

His voice worked over her, drawing the hybrid further away from Damon as she leaned towards Klaus, enraptured by him. Not only was his scent intoxicating, but the sound of his voice was like magic, compelling her to listen.

Releasing the vampire, Sophia stepped closer to Klaus, blood dripping from her chin and mouth as she titled her head and seemed to contemplate him. The hybrid pulled her closer until one of his hands could come up to brush her hair out of her face, the brush of his fingertips against her cheek sending a small shock through her body.

"W-what's going on?" Sophia asked after a minute, the red draining from her eyes and her fangs retracting as she stared into Klaus's green-blue gaze.

"You were hungry, is all. Why don't you go get cleaned up?" Glancing around the room, Sophia's eyes widened a little when she spotted Damon's slumped figure, neck painted with his own blood.

"Oh God. I-I'm sorry." She stepped back quickly, hand coming up to cover her mouth at the realization that she'd lost herself again. It hadn't happened since the summer and it unnerved the witch that she could still go into the 'red haze' after all the training she'd gone through.

Sophia hurried away from the cellar, not meeting anyone's eyes as she darted towards the bathroom, desperate to get the blood off her. She didn't care about needing to feed anymore, as she'd moved past it, but the thought that she wasn't as in control of herself as she'd thought was terrifying. What if the next time it was one of her friends that ended up with her fangs in their necks?

Scrubbing at her face and hands, the witch watched as the red swirled down the drain until the water ran clear before she looked up at herself. Most of her hair was still in the braid with a few flyaways around her face, which was a pale white, making her eyes stand out as if they were too large for her face.

Taking a deep breath, Sophia pulled the hand towel off the hook and dried her face and hands, willing herself to calm down and remember that Damon wasn't exactly her favorite person. But no matter what she told herself, she still felt guilty about attacking him like that and wondering if this had just made things with him even worse now.

"Sophia?" Giving a little start at Rebekah's voice, the witch folded the towel back up and stepped out of the bathroom, her friend waiting in the hall for her.

"I'm alright."

"It's kinda our fault this happened. Stefan and I didn't even think twice about you not feeding since Klaus was gone, so we didn't realize you were basically starving yourself. Sorry."

"It's not your fault, Bekks. I didn't think about it either, to be honest. I don't know if Klaus not being here just diminished my hunger or if I was so sidetracked with everything going on, but I should have noticed it since I'm the one that wasn't eating right. Is Damon alright?" Sophia asked as they headed down the hall.

"He'll be a little worse for wear for a while with the beating and blood loss, but he'll recover. Why don't we head on to school? It'll get your mind off things." The blonde suggested.

"Should we really leave them here by themselves?" She asked in doubt.

"Now love, I said I wasn't going to kill him, and I intend to keep my word. But I think some normal teenage activities would be good for you right now." Klaus said from the doorway to the basement.

"Nik, I—"

"There's nothing to feel bad about, darling. We just know now not to let you go so long without feeding. I'll see you later." The hybrid interrupted with a small smile and leaned down to give her a kiss. Sophia sighed against his mouth before they parted, this not the place nor time to give into their hormones.

"Alright, I'll see you after school." She pressed another light kiss to his lips before nodding to Rebekah and taking off, needing to get her school things.

"Take care of her, sister. Make sure she doesn't do anything she'll regret."

"Of course." Rebekah nodded before she took off.

Klaus rubbed at his face, finding it strange how much his life had changed since he'd found Sophia Gilbert existed. If he wasn't so enamored with the doppelgänger he might even miss the simpler days where everyone he met lived in fear of him and he didn't have to constantly think about his feelings and others the way he did now.

It was exhausting sometimes, especially when he really just wanted to kill the bloody lot of them and be done with it. But then Sophia would remind him that building the relationship with his family into the one he'd always wanted and having someone who actually loved him was more important than anything. He just hoped she didn't end up making him go soft, as that simply would not do.

/*/

"Oh my god! Oh my god!" Sophia mumbled as she stumbled out the smoking car, her knees threatening to give out under her as she moved towards the still figure that Rebekah had hit.

"He came out of nowhere! I swear I didn't see him." The vampire hurried to help her roll the man over, both of them gasping when they saw it was Alaric Saltzman.

"S-Shouldn't he be in school?" Rebekah asked as she felt for a pulse.

"I…I need to call an ambulance." Sophia's hands, which were once more covered in blood, trembled as she fished her phone out of her pocket to call the police. Rebekah cursed and pressed into the bleeding wound on Alaric's head, not sure what to do as she'd never tried to save a human's life before.

"Y-yes, there was an accident. Uh, we're at the corner of East St. We need an ambulance. I-I don't think he's breathing." Sophia rushed out, her stomach clenching tightly, threatening to purge itself.

"An ambulance has been dispatched. Is there a pulse?" The woman on the phone questioned, making the witch have to swallow before she could look down at her history teacher.

"I…I don't think so." Her voice broke as her eyes overflowed with tears.

"Alright someone is on their way. Do not leave the scene."

"Okay." She mumbled before hanging up, knowing she needed to make another phone call.

"I'm so sorry, Sophia. I never meant to kill him."

"I-I know." She whipped at her face with the back of her hand, but the tears wouldn't stop as she slowly dialed. Sophia half hoped that no one would answer, as this wasn't something she ever wanted to be responsible for telling another person.

"Hey Sophia, what's up? Shouldn't you be in class?" Jenna's happy voice sounded after the third ring, making her break down into sobs of apology.

"I-I'm so s-sorry!" Sophia cried, lips trembling as she stared down at Alaric's bloody face.

"What's wrong? What happened? Are you alright?" Jenna asked in alarm.

"No. We…he came out of nowhere, Jenna. I swear we didn't see him."

"Who, Sophia?" Her aunt questioned, her voice going tight with dread.

"A-Alaric." Jenna gave a strangled sound at that.

"Where are you?"

"East St. An ambulance is coming. But there's…there's no pulse, Jenna. He's d-dead." Sophia continued to cry, not understanding how things could go to hell so quickly. One minute they'd been laughing and the next Alaric was dead.

"I'll meet you at the hospital." Jenna said before clicking off, desperate that there was some way to save her boyfriend.

Sophia sat on the ground and pulled her knees to her chest as sirens began to fill the air, not knowing what she was going to say to her aunt. It was like when her parents had died, only this time she was the twin that was there to see it all happen. Turning to the side, she began heaving, her breakfast and Damon's blood making a gruesome puddle as her body shook.

Today was turning out to be completely awful.

/*/

But things ended up not being as bad as she'd feared, as Alaric had suddenly risen from death while they waited in the morgue. Jenna had been hopeful the ring Alaric wore would bring him back since Rebekah was a vampire, so she'd remained in her position hours after the crash in the hopes that he'd wake. The vampire and witch had sat with her, both consumed with guilt over the whole thing, even when it was an unusual feeling for the blonde.

There was a complication, however; after he woke up, Alaric started coughing up blood, signaling there was internal bleeding. Rebekah had been quick to offer her sliced wrist to heal the human, much to his distaste; but she felt like it was the least she could do since she plowed him down with her car.

After that it'd simply been a process of compelling the doctors into thinking Alaric had never come in and destroying any paperwork, like the death certificate. It wouldn't do to leave any physical evidence to his short stay in the morgue in case anyone decided to go through the records for some bizarre reason.

Sophia was thankful everything had worked out, as she wouldn't have been able to live with herself if they'd killed her aunt's boyfriend. It just reinforced the frailty of her family and renewed her determination to keep them safe, even Elena. She'd never forgive herself is she let them get hurt when she could have prevented it.

With that in mind, Sophia made a silent note to speak with her friends and siblings as soon as possible, as she didn't want to be at odds with them. They had to stick together if they had any hope of making it through the rest of high school alive, as this town was on the verge of imploding. And she really didn't want it to come down to her blood family and her new family being at war.

AN: Oh my freaking god. This chapter was utter hell, let me tell you. I've been working on it for a week. A freaking week! That's just ridiculous. I just could not get this the way I wanted it, so I eventually just had to say to hell with it and post it. I'm sorry if it was choppy or abrupt, but I had to move past this or else we'd be here till Christmas.

So I hope you liked the chapter anyways and hopefully the next update won't take so long. Sorry about the wait and any errors that I missed. Also, this is the longest chapter of this story to date, so reviews would be awesome! Thanks!